FORGING AND UTTERING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 115, 1 October 1912, Page 5

FORGING AND UTTERING.

URENUI FARMER VICTIMISED,

Frederick Bailey Muir, a respectable looking middle-aged man, utepurti im.it the dock at the .Magistrate's Court yesterday morning in answer to a series of charges of alleged forging und uttering; The cheques were all drawn upon Afuini late employer, R. 11. Daveney, of Uwnui. They were cashed by Mrs McKean, of New Plymouth, Mrs S. HarringtonTof Waitara, W. H. Fuller and Bethune, of Urenui, respectively, and totalled £44. All the offences were committed on Monday, September 23rd. Mr J. E. Wilson appeared for the accused.

At the suggestion of Senior-sergt. Had* drell, who conducted the case for therpollce, and with the acquiescence of accused's counsel, the whole of the charge* were lumped together. Maria McKean, wife of John McKean, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, flrat gave evidence. She deposed! to accused having come to the hotel for a bed op Monday last. He was accommodated with a room, and later on in the same day the accused asked if Mr McKeaa was in, saying that he had a cheque of Mr Daveney's to cash. Witness told him that she knew Mr Daveney, and would herself cash the cheque. The cheque lor £lO Is (produced) was the cheque tne accused handed to her. She gave him * £5 note and five single notes, retaining Is for exchange. Mrs. S. Harrington, wife of John Harrington, licensee of the Masonic Hotel,' Waitara, testified to the accused having come to the hotel about 5 p.m. on Monday last. He had a drink when he came in, and subsequently handed her a cheque (produced) for £lO, signed R. H. Bavency, and asked her to change it. She complied with his request. The reason why she cashed the cheque was because she knew Mr Daveney and had cashed Mbcheques before. She thought the cheque handed to her was Mr Daveney's, She had seen the accused once before «witb Mr Daveney, and he (accused) had reminded her of this. William H. Fuller, who is in the employ of Charles Dunbar, Urenui, told ho«r last Monday Muir came to the store and purchased a couple of. handkerchiefs, which he booked to Mr Daveney. Be then asked him if he would cash a cheque of Mr Daveney's for £ls,.as he wished to go, a way by the coach. Witness knew that the accused was working" for Mr Daveney, and cashed the (Cheque (produced) without any ado.

To Mt Wilson: It was the practice of Mr Daveney's employee*', when purhasing goods, to book them up tosDaveney. Robert Harold Davenev. a farmer Hy-

ing at Urenui, said that' Muir had been in his employ as a clerk and general help for about ten weeks. He last saw Muir on the farm last .Monday. He did not say that he was going away. As a matter of fact he did leave that day. Is consequence of Muir's non-appearance that night, he examined his cheque-book the following morning. Accused was a. trusted man, having free access to the cheque book. He found four cheque* missing from near the end of the book. He, identified'the cheques produced by their numbers as having been taken from Ids book. The signatures on them vreie very like his own autograph. TH«3 were not his own, however. The acewll had no authority to use his name. Had he wanted £2O he could have got it. Another cheque was missing from his book, and he had reason to believe that it had been presented to the bank and cashed. Since he had begun to give his evidence he had been advised by telegram thfct this cheque, which ivas made out for It, liad been paid by the bank. To Mr Wilson: The accused suffered very severely from asthma at times. Every night he was troubled • with it. Accused was a man of nervous temperament, and on the morning of the 2Srd had been reprimanded by him. Muir then seemed to think that he (witness) was in the wrong.

Asked if he had anything to say, accused said thut he had writtea Mr Daveney's signature to the missing cheque, and cashed it with Mr. Bethune, hotel-keeper at Urenui. The amount was £9.

Muir pleaded guilty to all four charges and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence.